


Spirit Animals and Time Travel

by Snowfiredragon78



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Desmond doesn't get a break in the beginning, Gen, Graphic Description, I do not Own, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pieces of Eden, Running Away, Torture, maybe soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2019-10-19 12:47:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17601647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowfiredragon78/pseuds/Snowfiredragon78
Summary: Ezio looked at the child laying in his arms and smiled.If anyone told Ezio that he would be a parent while hunting down Borgias, he would have punched them then ask if they were piosoned.He may have been a firting kind of man, but since the deaths of his father and brothers, he had no time to truely desress.Yet here is a child, Desmond Miles, in his arms, and Ezio found himself happy with thought of being a father.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a ramdom idea that bred with the plot bunnies.
> 
> Tell me if I need to explain anything in more detail. I wrote this at like twelve at night and a speed check through, so tell me your thoughts.

When Desmond was four he knew something was wrong. He didn't know what was wrong but he knew something was wrong.

When he turned seven he thought it was normal. He thought the separation training from his daemon was normal. Sure, there was an ache the more distance there was. But they always reunited.

When he turned ten he started noticing how the adults don't have daemons. It was around this time that he got his first scar. A scar on his lips – given to him by his father. He didn't think much on the daemon issue. Always thinking that the adults got really good at separation.

(What a foolish child he was.)

When he turned eleven he knew something was wrong with the farm. He knew that something was very wrong. He noticed how the fourteen year-old's would enter a special building with their daemon and came out a few days later without one. He noticed how pale they were. He saw them shake and quake on the training field. He heard them cry at night. Calling out the names of their daemon.

He was twelve when he knew he had to get the hell away from the farm. He was twelve when he started to think was escaping.

He didn't know who or what the Templars were. No one ever told him.

The bedtime stories of the Monster Templars being taken out by the Hero Assassins – meant a lot to the four year-old Desmond and the seven year-old Desmond, but not to the tweleve year old Desmond.

The twelve year-old Desmond knew that separation between daemons and their humans was bad. 

Very bad. 

He knew that at fourteen he was going to truly be separated from his daemon.

He knew that there was no choice.

With that fact in his head; he knew what he was going to do. 

He was going to run.

He was going to run so fast and far that he would be free. He was going to run to a place that was free. He wasn't going to stop running till he found that place.

Desmond watched the clock with a baited breath.

When it hit twelve A.M, he got out of bed.

With a small book-bag on his back – full of food, water, and one of his mother's hidden blades – a map of the outside world – stolen from his father's study along with a small glowing cube, that was calling to him – and with his daemon at his side, he walked out the front door.

And ran.


	2. Chapter 2

Desmond was about to turn thirteen when he realized he was fucked.

He was living in one of the many alley-ways of New York city. He only been in the city for about a week and he can say that New York sucks.

The alleys were cold and unclean. The alley cats were vicious things and the dogs weren't nice at all. The only thing good about the alley that he was living in was the bar owner right next to his alley. The bar owner, Mr. Bar, was a nice man with a cat daemon; they would leave food at the mouth of the alley for him.

The nights were cold and Desmond found that the scars that he got at the farm – ached in the cold. The only relief that he got from the cold is his daemon, Alice.

Alice was unsettled like all daemon around Desmond's age. She was like a heaven send for Desmond. He was sure he wouldn't have lived the four months on the move without her.

Desmond curled into a tight balls as the kicks were waled on him. His arms and Alice were tucked into his chest, his face was buried into Alice's fur, hiding from the kicks and punches.

Desmond was two weeks from turning thirteen when a gang found him. 

He had been hiding from the gangs of New York for a while now. Using everything he learned at the farm to get away, slipping by in the shadows, scaling the buildings, knocking people out, he used everything.

Yet here he was.

Counting his breaths and clinching his teeth together. Praying to anything and everything to help him get out of this alive.

“You think your tough shit, huh?” The gang enforcer asked as he grabbed Desmond's hair. The man who had bleached hair, many piercing, and a sick grin, pulled Desmond's head up till get a good look at the bruised and bloodied face.

Desmond ran faster then when he was running from the farm. Tearing though the back ways and alleys. 

But they caught him.

“Nothing to say?” The man licked Desmond's face, making the younger flinch away. The enforcer laughed once more and slammed Desmond's face into the ground. “I'll make you talk. Sooner or later.”

Desmond wanted to scream as hand slid a gag into his mouth, “Don't to make to much noise yet.” The older laughed, “Don't want our fun to end too early, do you?” Desmond sobbed.

Desmond's hands were tied behind his back with rope. Alice, now free of his arms, hid in his jacket pocket. 

The enforcer stepped back and admired his work, “if only you were a girl,” he signed in disappointment “There would be so much more fun. But sense your not a girl, I'll just have to make do.”

A knife was held up to Desmond's face. The blade slowly cut at his face, two long cuts – one of his forehead and the other across his nose – and it went lower. A cut over the hollow of his throat and a slice at his hands.

Desmond tried to hold in his fear and sobs but as the knife carved into his chest; he screamed.

“Shut up!” A hit landed on Desmond's face. “Do you want someone to find us?”

Alice shivered against Desmond as the enforcer's rabid dog daemon sniffed around.

She had to do something.

But want can she do.

Her paws covered her face as the screams of her human filled the alley-way once again. When the screams died down, she peaked her head out of the pocket. She could see a blood covered blade, she see the rabid daemon sitting at the opening of the alley.

She could see a small glow in Desmond's other pocket.

What?

Alice looked to see the enforcer was going through his bag. His back was turned to his victims and Alice took the chance.

She sipped out and ran across Desmond's heaving, bleeding chest, into the other pocket.

The source of the glowing was the small cube that they stole from the study. The weird symbols were glowing a golden white; something she never seen before. The whispers that were almost always too quiet to hear, were slowly getting louder.

Listen, listen, listen, I can help, help you. Listen I can free you, I know you want freedom, I can give it to you.

It kept repeating and Alice slowly gave in.

No one had come to help Desmond and save him from the mad man. 

If the cube could help Desmond then she'll take that chance.

I need blood. I need the human's blood.

Well, she thought, there was a lot of that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezio is here!

When Ezio first arrived in Venice; he wasn't expecting Leonardo to rush him to his workshop.

The year was 1481 and Ezio was happy to sleep in an actual bed after a few days of ruff horse riding. The weather had a chill to it and Ezio's cape could only do so much for warmth. So an inn would be welcome. He slowed to a trot and followed the crowd. 

Leonardo's workshop wasn't that far away from the main road, something Ezio was happy about. He needed a break and Leonardo was always his safe haven when he did.

Ezio didn't know why traveling and chasing temlpars were wearing on him. It was his path after all. But what he did know, was that his mother's mental health and his sister's future were worrying him.

His mother hasn't been the same since the executions. All she does is sit by her bedside and prays, her daemon, Tilly, a song bird, hasn't uttered a note. Claudia has been bored with the work their uncle has handed her. Bella, Claudia's sheep daemon, kept eating Mario's clothes. Ezio was glad to say Bella left him alone.

Ezio's daemon was a chestnut brown wolf named Cosimo. The only other member of the family that had a wolf was Federico with Mella – a golden wolf. It still hurts to think about them. Petruccio and Joanna never settled and his father and his red fox named Angolo. 

He could still hear Cosimo's mournful howls echoing in his ears from that fateful day.

Ezio shook his head, taking his mind off of those thoughts, and jumped off his borrowed horse and approached Leonardo's door. He raised his hand to knock only for it to bust open.

Leonardo was frazzled like normal, Veronica, Leonardo's daemon – a small brown and white hamster – sat on his shoulder like normal, but unlike normal, Leonardo grabbed Ezio and pulled him inside.

“Ezio! Thank God!” He cried. “I have a job for you!”

Ezio lifted a brow. “Not even here for a minute and I have a job?”

Leonardo laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head, “I don't think you've had a job like this before.”

Ezio took a seat with Cosimo at his feet. “There's been something weird going on at the abandoned house on the edge of the city.” Leonardo handed him a drink and took his own seat with Veronica laying in his lap. “A few days ago there was a golden light. It lit up the whole sky and has kept lighting up the sky every night.” Leonardo took a deep breath. “Two days ago I went to the house that the light comes from –.”

“Leonardo!” 

“I know! I know it was a bad idea but I just had too.” He waved off Ezio's concern and carried on. “When I got to the door I smelled iron. A lot of iron. Ezio, when I looked at the ground there was blood, a lot of blood. I put my head to the door and I could hear screams and groans.” Leonard petted Veronica as he finished. “They were children's screams. Ezio, the screams belonged to a child.”

Ezio took a deep breath a looked a Leonardo. “You want me to see if there's an actually a child and if so rescue it?” Leonardo nodded his head.

Ezio shook his head as he petted Cosimo panting head, “This not how I expected to spend my first day in Venice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I wrote Ezio so this might be a little ooc.


	4. Chapter 4

Cosimo ran head of him as Ezio slowly trotted after him. The wolf was following the sent of Leonardo to the old house while Leonardo himself worked on a painting.

“I just get to town and I'm on a mission.” Ezio huffed to his daemon. “Can you believe this?”

Cosimo laughed as much a wolf of his size – around Ezio's lower chest – could, “I know. How could Leo do something like this to us!”

“Don't mock me!” Ezio cried. If Ezio had a shoe and anything lightweight not in use, he would have thrown it at the wolf's big shiny head.

“I'm not mocking you.” Cosimo looked over his shoulder, “I'm saying what you want to say out loud.”

Ezio huffed but didn't deny it.

The street was empty with not a soul, human or daemon, in sight. It was around midday, with the sun shining high, and Ezio knew that most were attending afternoon mass. He pulled his cloak that he borrowed from Leonardo and followed Cosimo.

The cloak offered a much needed warmth and he quite liked that. He hated the cold, his mother was actually ready for him to have a bear for a daemon so he could sleep through the winter, thankfully for his family's sanity, Ezio got Cosimo when he was fifteen.

“Ezio!” Cosimo growled. Ezio got off his horse and settled next to the wolf. The wolf's and his human's eyes focused the old house sinking into the mud. “This is the place.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, the smell of blood is thick in the air.”

Ezio took a deep breath and stood up. He checked his hidden blade as he pulled his hood over his head. He walked toward the building with one thought in his mind; Leonardo wasn't laying about the amount of blood.

He could smell the iron from five feet away though he didn't hear any screaming, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe whoever the blood belongs to – passed away. That would be a mercy.

“Hello?” Ezio called out. “I'm Ezio Auditore da Firenze, I'm here to help.” He pushed of the door and knocked it open. 

“Hello?” Cosimo asked.

There was no answer. 

Ezio cocked his head as he turned on his second vision.

His breath stopped in his lungs as he focused on two blue forms.

One was what looked like a small child and the other had to be their daemon.

“Will you really help?” A small voice asked.

Ezio nearly fell over in shock.

The smallest form looked like Leonardo's Veronica and was pawning at his boots, “Will you help?” The daemon asked again as it's voice trembled.

“I- wha-,” Ezio struggled to say.

“Ezio!” Cosimo yelled. “The kid needs help now!”

Ezio shook himself out of his confusion and ran to the kid.

“Cosimo grab the daemon. I need to get the kid outside.” Ezio picked up the kid and ran out of the building.

Inside the decrepit building he couldn't see the child or it's injures and Ezio didn't know if he wanted to see. The smell of iron – the smell of blood – was thick and the sound of his boots slashing on the floor. The rumors of screams – it didn't paint a pretty picture.

The sunlight of the outside did nothing to falsify the picture Ezio built up in his mind.

Shallow breath, dry and flaky blood, cuts with infection, and looking at the child's daemon in Cosimo's mouth – looked to be feverish. 

Ezio climbed on to his horse and with little difficulty placed the child in front of him.

“Let's get these two to Leonardo and a doctor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one his a little hard to wright. I hope I'm doing a younger Ezio justice but I never wrote him before so yeah.... I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Ezio paced the room as the doctor worked. Leonardo sat at his small table and stared into his drink. Veronica sat of her human's shoulder with Cosimo curled up at Leonardo's feet; leaving room for Ezio's pacing. 

“Well, you found him just in time,” The sudden voice of the doctor broke the unspoken tension. “Any less and he would have been dead.”

“What's wrong with him?” Leonardo asked as he jumped to his feet and handed the doctor a cup of tea.

The doctor signed and thanked Leonardo for the cup of tea, “What isn't wrong with him. Cuts on his face, hands, and stomach. Infection in many of those cuts. Bruises everywhere, a swollen eye, and broken leg, and swollen ankle.” The doctor looked at the two men, “ Then the brand.”

Ezio stopped his pacing and exchanged a horrified look with Leonardo, “What do you mean brand?” Leonardo asked. His hands shacking with rage or horror – Ezio didn't know, but he did know that he, himself, felt sick.

Who would brand a child?

“The brand was done by a knife. It was full of infection, so I had to reopen it up so I could cleaning it.” The doctor stood up and walked toward the door. “He'll have that for the rest on his life.” The doctor said with sad tone. He looked the other men and nodded his head. “Good day.” He walked out leaving the two friends in shock. 

“What the fuck,” Ezio said in the sudden silence.

He turned on his heel and ran to the child's room.

The boy laid on the bed with a pained expression. His breathing was heavy and sweat dripped from his hair on to the cloths underneath him. He was pale and the brand was no where in sight. 

Ezio was thankful for that.

Cosimo's claws clacked and clicked on floor with little care. He sat down up next his human and watched the child, “Who would do something like this?” his quiet voice echoed around the room, voicing his human's thoughts.

“I don't know,” Ezio answered. “I don't know.”

Leonardo walked and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

“Come on,” he nodded toward the door, “The doctor said he would walk up in a day or two. When he does we need to have food ready for him.”

The unspoken 'if he makes it through the night' went unsaid.

Ezio nodded, he need food himself, he cast one last looked at the laying figure and left through the door with his daemon on his heels.

Leonardo sighed after Ezio took his leave and picked the boy's hand up. 

“Hey,” he whispered, “You get better okay? You have people who want to meet you.”

The boy just sleep on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter!
> 
> Please leave a comment and Kudos!


	6. Chapter 6

Leonardo didn't know what to think about the boy.

He asked Ezio to take a look at the old house because of the lights and the screams. He wasn't expecting him to come back with a child.

A badly injured child at that.  
Leonardo sighed as he looked to Veronica and had to wonder how the child's daemon is doing.

Veronica scrunched her nose as she hopped onto her human's shoulder. The child who laid in bed had a wired smell to him. It wasn't illness – though the poor thing had some of that smell too – no, this smell was something different.

She couldn't quite put her paw on it, but if she had to put a name to it, she would have to say it the smell a lightning storm. The smell as the lightning as it hit the ground. 

It wasn't something she was used to smelling on humans, but the child has been through much, so she'll let the smell pass.

For now.

“Veronica,” Leonardo's voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Can you find his daemon? I think it might be worried.”

Veronica nodded her in agreement and jumped onto the bed. 

The bed wasn't the softest thing she felt. It was hard and lumpy at the ends, the blanket was too small to fit said bed, but it did its purpose and kept the child off the floor. The child himself was tense, his still there baby fat slick with sweat, his long hair was tangled and knotted with dry blood. She knew they would have to cut it off to make sure fleas or maggots didn't make a home in it. 

The child laid on his back and Veronica knew where the little daemon was hiding.

Veronica slipped under the blanket and went straight for the boy's armpit. To daemons; their human's scent was a comfort for when they were worried or hurt. And a human's armpit has a lot of their scent.

Veronica looked around in the dark as she scented out the missing daemon. She climbed over the child's chest and crossed over to the less injured part of the boy. 

She found the little daemon curled up on its side with its tiny furry hiding in the armpit. 

“Hello?” She called out. The little one didn't move toward but did dig deeper into the child's arm, trying to hide from the world. “Come out little one. It's safe now.”

A small head peaked out and looked at Veronica, “Is it really?” Its voice was squeaky – like any child's daemon – and sounded so weak. 

So very weak.

“It's okay,” she repeated, “We're healing your child up real fast. My human and I are worried about you. Will you come out?”

The child's daemon looked at it's human's chest and nodded. 

“I'll come out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the next chapter! I'm working on the next one as this is being posted.
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos!


	7. Chapter 7

Ezio walked into Leonardo's home with a tired sigh.

He had to help some thieves with their escape and had to carry their injured one to their doctor. While Rosa was a beautiful woman, his mind was busy with the thoughts of the ill child laying in Leonardo's house.

He wondered what happened. Did his parents harm? Was he an orphan? If not, how did this happen? Why did no one notice? How did this go unnoticed? 

“Boss?” Cosimo asked, “Are you thinking about the kid?”

Ezio let a small smile grace his lips at the question. He really couldn't hide things from the wolf. 

The human nodded his head but continued to walk. They couldn't stop to talk – they had to keep going, seeing that there were some small groups of guards on the path to Leonardo's.

“I don't think we need to worry,” They turned the corner with Leonardo's home in sight. “The kid seems to be a fighter. I don't think he'll go down without a good fight.” Cosimo's amber eyes turned to the human and the wolf stared him down, “He reminds me of a certain someone.”

“I wasn't that bad,” Ezio said as he opened the door.

“Of course not.”

“Leonardo! I'm back,” Ezio walked into the house and made his way to the back room.

“Be quiet,” Leonardo said. He held his hand to his lips.

“Have some food?” Ezio said and held up a small sack. Leonardo smiled and waved toward the table.

“Veronica found the child's daemon.” Ezio nearly dropped the bread. He whipped around fast enough and looked at Leonardo. “Her name's Alice.”

“Alice?” 

Leonardo smiled as he placed his paintbrush down on his desk. “Yeah. She doesn't talk much and hasn't told me anything about her human. Though she did say she wanted to talk to you.” 

Ezio picked up a bottle and started up the stairs, “I'll go talk to her now.” Cosimo didn't follow Ezio up the stairs but stayed with Leonardo and Veronica. Ezio steps echoed as he made his way to the door.

He cracked the door open slow and peaked his head inside. 

“You wanted to talk to me?” 

A small little furry head popped out from under the blanket, “Hello. Are you Mr. Ezio?”


	8. Chapter 8

“Yes I am,” Ezio answered. He slowly moved forward and slowly sat down on the bed.

He made no move to pick up the daemon – he never would, not without the child's permission – but did put a hand on the child's own. 

“Thank you for saving Desmond.” Alice squeaked out.

“Desmond?” Ezio asked. Desmond was an odd name.

“My boy,” Alice said. Her small head turned toward the sleeping teen and though she didn't believe in a higher power she prayed he would wake soon.

“Ah,” Ezio acknowledged because what was he to say? “Do you know when he'll wake?”

“No.”

Ezio smiled and leaned closer to her, “I'm sure he'll wake soon.”

“I hope so.”

They sat in a moment of silence.

Ezio moved to stand up only to hear a groan. A groan that was coming from the bed.

He held his breath and stayed still.

He didn't know why he was staying still, maybe it was because he thought any sudden movements would scare the kid, but whatever it was it was the right thing to do. Ezio's hand still laid on the kid's hand but as Ezio pulled away a small grip latched on.

“What?” A scratchy voice said. It was gruff and raw like the owner was screaming to hours on end.

Ezio closed his eyes, the owner probably did.

“You're safe,” Alice was the one to answer. She lifted a small paw and pointed at Ezio, “This is Mr. Ezio, he saved you.” She leaned in close and buried herself next to Desmond's ear, “He has a wolf Daemon! And there's this other one with a Hamster!”

Alice's chatter filled the air as Desmond's eyes landed on 'Mr. Ezio', “You saved me?” 

Ezio's brows pulled together at the confusion in the question. “Yes, I did. You almost bleed out a few times. Though you're safe now.” Ezio paused, “Both you and your Daemon.” He added as an afterthought.

He stared into the kid's eyes – that was dropping – and got up reluctantly letting Desmond's hand go. “I'll let get back sleep. There will food when you wake.”


End file.
